Devastation...

When we saw it on TV in June, we were all rightly shocked and appalled by the horrific fire that so rapidly engulfed London's 24-storey Grenfell Tower, claiming eighty-odd lives. But to see it in the 'flesh' is even more stunning, I feel. For starters, the building looks considerably bigger and taller. And the sheer brutality of the fire really hits home.

The whole area is now sealed off, a crime scene – with human remains needing to be preserved inside the charred shell of the structure. I believe efforts have begun to shroud the building in sheeting, though the scaffolding is barely off the ground.

I rarely show emotion – but I had a lump in my throat reading the hundreds of messages pinned to railings, fences and trees for hundreds of metres around – messages of support, messages of hate directed to Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council, messages of solidarity from total strangers or fire brigades in others counties. But most of all, the 'missing' messages – have you seen so-and-so, or such-and-such is still missing... Heart-rending and disturbing.

A needless tragedy, these stark photos are for posterity, not for any sense of anything else. Signs posted everywhere ask visitors not to photograph, or to do so with respect. Absolutely – insensitive I may be to many things, this is one disaster that really shook me!